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Wood Brothers Racing has become something of a common face in NASCAR.Their consistent attendance year in and year out has possibly gone unnoticed to some, so one member of the family has set out to make sure the team’s founding fathers get the recognition they finally deserve for their unwavering show of perseverance.

Jon Wood, third-generation family member and former Wood Brothers Racing driver, grew up with a fascination for a very peculiar book.That book came to his elementary school once a year when the bookmobile would roll into town.The one book that was so captivating was the Guinness Book of World Records.“From the beginning I have been fascinated with the Guinness Book of World Records,” said Wood.“I remember thinking that one day I would figure out a way to do something worthy of being in the Book. I think that’s just part of a child’s fairytale-like thought process.”

Wood, now 33, isn’t alone in his fascination of the Guinness Books. The book itself holds a world’s record as the best-selling copyrighted book of all time. And it’s also one of the most pilfered books from public libraries in the United States.Recently, while clearing the crawlspace of his house in preparation for some repairs, he was rummaging through an accumulation of junk destined for the dumpster and came across a 50th anniversary edition of the Guinness Book.And, since he’d been working on a logo for his team’s upcoming 65th anniversary in NASCAR, it occurred to him that his childhood dream was not as far-fetched as it seemed back in his elementary school days.

His family’s race team, founded in 1950 by his grandfather Glen Wood, is generally considered NASCAR’s longest active race team. The Woods have fielded cars every year since 1950, and while other established teams have come and gone, the Woods have maintained the same ownership through the present.That fact; however, has never been officially recognized, and Wood wanted to do something about that.“This is a huge accomplishment when you take a step back and really digest it,” he said. “To be able to say that you have been able to have that level of consistency is pretty outstanding.”All that was missing, Wood said, was a statement, in print, in a publication that wouldn’t be challenged, that read: “Wood Brothers Racing is the longest active NASCAR team.”He immediately got on the Guinness World Records website and submitted an application for a record claim. “Very quickly I got a response from their sports records coordinator, and he was highly interested in helping with this claim,” Wood said. The next step was finding a way to substantiate the record. For that he turned to Buz McKim, Historian at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C.McKim quickly verified the Woods’ record, and as they say, the rest is history.

For Jon, getting his family’s accomplishment documented in the Guinness Book of World Records makes the record that much more meaningful.“I realize that when it comes to the Book, the first thought in some people’s minds are some of the wacky, crazy records, like one for the most sneezes in one minute or something,” he said. “But on the flip side to that, whether it’s a record of a silly nature, or serious ones like land-speed records, there is only one global authority, and that is the Guinness Book of World Records.My goal was to both validate the claim that Wood Brothers Racing is the longest active team in NASCAR and also honor my grandfather and his brother Leonard for what I believe to be an astounding accomplishment.” His grandfather Glen, team founder and family patriarch, also shares the same views when asked what special place this record holds.“This is pretty big for us. It’s a big deal to us and I’m sure a big deal to Ford. Without their support from day one, there is no way we would be where we are today.We’ve come a long way since the days under a beech tree. We’ve had ups and we’ve had downs, so when we get recognition like this, it just makes it all the more meaningful.

Getting this documented and on paper brings feelings of accomplishment that is shared by members of three generations of Woods, each of whom has played a role in the team’s longevity. That includes Jon himself, who has worn several hats, so to speak, over the years.“While I’ve had a very minimal role in helping to keep the team going for all of these years, I did drive for them for a short period of time, so that just adds to the feeling of involvement,” he said. “Today, the makeup of the entire front office is all family. All of us are directly related. We are the true definition of a family business, and when something like this happens, we all feel a huge sense of gratification.”

Last Friday Ryan Blaney, Jeremy and the Wood Brothers gathered in Stuart, VA to shoot video footage for Motorcraft / Quick Lane. The day was mainly spent shooting various videos for Motorcraft / Quicklane but during breaks Glen, Eddie, Len and Leonard were giving Ryan a brief Wood Brothers history lesson. This was the first time that Glen and Bernece Wood had met Ryan and they are so excited for him to be behind the wheel of the 21 car. I was able to capture some images and a video of Glen and Ryan talking about Glen’s 1937 Ford Backseater.

Today’s museum feature is on a variety of Coats that the Wood Brothers have saved over the years. These coats and jackets date back to the 1960s! There are many unique coats, including a leather blue and yellow Regal Ride coat. Kim, Eddie and Len remember Glen wearing this coat all the time. If you had one of these coats, you were Big Time!

Last week I mentioned that one of my favorite Wood family Christmas traditions is Crystal Wood’s handmade ornaments. I wanted to get more details about the ornaments before I wrote a blog post. I stopped in with Kim last week and let her explain the tradition in a quick video!!

This is a special and creative way to keep loved ones who have passed away a part of Christmas! Here are a few pictures of all the ornaments. Can anyone guess what Crystal used to make any of these ornaments?

Hello 2015! The Holidays have come and gone and the Daytona 500 is just around the corner! Before we start talking about the 500, I want to take a look back over the last month. Where did everyone spend the Holidays? Did you spend it with family? Travel anywhere adventurous? Take some time off work? We would love to hear what everyone did during the Holidays!

My family spent the majority of our time in Virginia. When we were not working, we were burning the roads to Virginia and I would not have had it any other way. Looking back on the last month, it has been so amazing to be able to spend so much time with my entire family. During the season it is very difficult for my husband to make it to Virginia because he travels every weekend. Therefore, we took full advantage of him having some time off work. We arranged our trips with my brother and his family so that we were all in Stuart at the same time. GiGi and PaPa had their hands full with 5 yorkies, 2 Labs, a 6 month old and a 2 year old all under the same roof! They handled it like champs and never missed a beat. I am pretty sure my mom is the energizer bunny. That woman is nonstop!

Our latest obsession is bowling and we spent A LOT of time at the local bowling alley, Tin Pen Alley. Jon, Michael, Amanda and I have our own bowling balls and shoes. However, the boys had to go the extra mile and purchase wrist guards, cleaning spray and rolling bags. I am sure it is quite hilarious to see us roll up into the bowling alley acting like we are professionals but then bowling a whopping 120. Okay, okay, Jon and Michael have been known to bowl in the mid-200s but Amanda and I are still working on perfecting our skills. When we were not bowling, we were chasing Riley around the house, entertaining Giselle, riding 4-wheelers, playing board games or eating.

Every morning we would have breakfast with Nannie and Pa at the Stuart Family Restaurant and many nights we would end up back in the same spot for dinner. Giselle usually ended up pitching a fit because it was nap time and Riley would run around yelling “keys, keys” because he thinks every time we go the Stuart Family Restaurant, he gets to put “Keys” (aka Quarters) into the machine and get a bouncy ball. I am pretty sure he has now collected around 30 balls and enjoys dumping them all in the floor at once.

Riley is in the “terrible 2s” stage but I like to refer to them as the “terrific 2s” because he is so funny and entertaining. Granted he has his moments where I am pretty sure he is related to Tasmanian Devil, like when he decided to flush a plastic cup down the toilet! My mom was in the bathroom and turned away for one second and then heard him yelling, “Cup Gone Gigi, Cup go Bye Bye”. That was an all-day project trying to retrieve the plastic cup from the toilet. In the end, Jon removed the entire toilet and then used a leaf blower to blow the cup out of the toilet. I am guessing he has experience with these types of destructive “accidents”??

After it was all said and done, this past Christmas/New Years has been one of my favorites to date! Being a mom puts a whole new spin on life and makes me appreciate these special times with my family so much more. Not to mention, it is very nice to have a house full of babysitters when we need them. Below are a few pictures I captured, featuring GiGi (Carol), PaPa (Eddie), Dada (Jon), BooBoo (Amanda), Ike (Michael) and Dordon (Me). Riley’s versions of our names are so much better than our actual names :).

The Wood family held their annual Christmas gathering a couple weeks ago in Stuart, VA. Every year the entire Wood family gets together two times, once in the summer and once around Christmas. It is an event that I look forward to every year.

In the summer, the gathering is usually held at the Wood Brothers home place in Stuart, VA but during the winter it is held at the Wood Brothers Racing shop in Stuart, VA. “The gathering has been taking place as far back as I remember”, stated Kim Hall. All four living Wood Brothers and sister attended the gathering with their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. One of my favorite Christmas reunion traditions is the handmade ornaments that Crystal Wood makes every year for each family. The ornaments are made from Nannie Wood’s, the original Wood Brothers’ mother, household items and each year the ornament is different. We will have a special blog on the ornaments at a later date.

The family gathering is an event that I look forward to every year. This is the only time that I get to see some of the family and it is great that we all take time out of our busy life’s to come together.

HARRISBURG, N.C. (December 22, 2014) – Wood Brothers Racing announced today that Jeremy Bullins will rejoin the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion team next season to serve as the crew chief for Ryan Blaney in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, beginning with the 2015 Daytona 500. Bullins returns to the Wood Brothers organization following a successful three-year tenure with Team Penske’s No. 22 NASCAR Nationwide Series team that produced 21 wins and two consecutive NASCAR Nationwide Series Owners’ Championships.

Bullins first worked with the Wood Brothers in 1999 on the Pro Cup and Late Model cars driven by Jon Wood. In 2000, Bullins became race engineer for the iconic No. 21 Ford in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, a position he held until June of 2002. Bullins moved on to work with ST Motorsports, Robert Yates Racing and Richard Childress Racing, where he helped drivers Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer claim a total of nine Sprint Cup Series victories as a race engineer.

A native of Walnut Cove, NC, Bullins joined Team Penske in 2012 to serve as the crew chief for the No. 22 car in the Nationwide Series, earning three wins in his first full season at the helm. In 2013, Bullins led the team to 12 wins with four different drivers and the team’s first Nationwide Series Owners’ Championship. The No. 22 Ford team won the Owners’ Title again this season behind six series victories. In total, Bullins earned 21 wins, 14 poles, 57 top-five and 79 top-10 finishes in 99 starts with the No. 22 Team Penske Nationwide Series program.

“This is a great opportunity for me at this point in my career to move to a great organization with a solid driver, while still getting the chance to work with the people that I’ve come to know and respect at Team Penske,” said Bullins. “Everyone in the sport knows about the Wood Brothers and recognizes that No. 21. To get a chance to work for Eddie and Len and the entire organization and to have Ryan behind the wheel, is pretty much everything I could have asked for.”

Eddie Wood, co-owner of the No. 21 Ford Fusion, said he’s looking forward to resuming his working relationship with Bullins, who studied mechanical engineering at North Carolina State University before joining the Wood Brothers.

“I feel like he’s coming home,” said Eddie Wood. “He worked with us when we were still at our shop in Virginia and he was just getting started in NASCAR. Now he’s a proven winner. It’s an honor to have him back with us. We’re anxious for him to get his first Sprint Cup victory, as a crew chief, which will be No. 99 for us.”

Bullins joins the No. 21 Wood Brothers team at the same time Blaney makes the transition as the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team begins its alliance with Team Penske. Bullins and Blaney worked together through all three years of Bullins’ tenure at Team Penske. The duo produced two Nationwide Series wins along with eight top-five and 16 top-10 finishes in Blaney’s 19 starts driving the No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang.

Len Wood, who owns the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team with his brother Eddie, believes that bringing Bullins on board will pay immediate dividends.

“Jeremy coming over from Team Penske to help us out will help in the transition from our past alliance to our new alliance with Team Penske,” said Len Wood. “Because he’s worked with Ryan in the past, and knows the Team Penske system, Jeremy should be able to get Ryan on the right track and running competitively right out of the box, without a long development period.”

Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team has won 98 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 117 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glen’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion driven by Ryan Blaney in the famous number 21 racecar.

About Motorcraft
Motorcraft® offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended and approved by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to under-hood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer exceptional value with the highest quality and right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln dealers, independent distributors and automotive parts retailers are backed by Ford Motor Company’s two-year, unlimited-miles Service Parts Limited Warranty. Ask for Motorcraft by name when you visit your local auto parts store or your favorite service facility. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.

About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers
Quick Lane® provides automotive quick services for all makes and models. Quick Lane’s nationwide network of more than 700 facilities, each providing the convenience of an aftermarket company (no appointment necessary, service while you wait, evening and weekend hours, competitive prices) with the confidence of a major automotive manufacturer (quality parts, factory-trained, technicians). Quick Lane® is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.quicklane.com

Ryan Blaney expects to be successful when he gets behind the wheel of the iconic No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion for Wood Brothers Racing starting at the 2015 Daytona 500 in February.

“I honestly think we’ll contend for wins,” Blaney said. “I think we’ll be in the hunt at most of them. If we can run 100 percent of the laps, not wreck out of any of them or have any issues, I know we’ll be racking up some really good finishes. You’ll definitely see us up front and contending for wins.”

DEARBORN, Mich. – Ryan Blaney expects to be successful when he gets behind the wheel of the iconic No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion for Wood Brothers Racing starting at the 2015 Daytona 500 in February.

Why not? He’s been a winner in every other racing series in which he’s ever competed, including being part of Team Penske’s last two Nationwide (now XFINITY) Series Owner’s Championships.

“I hope so,” Blaney said when asked if he thinks his past success will carry over into his first regular Sprint Cup ride. “In my first Cup start for Team Penske at Kansas last year, I was worried about not wrecking and I wasn’t very aggressive. I look back and I regret that. I’m not going to be too conservative this year.”

That doesn’t mean he plans to be too aggressive in the Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 either. Blaney said he understands the appropriate balance between aggressive racing and driving smart races. “That’s what the Cup races are all about,” he said with a wisdom that belies his 20 years and reflects more than a decade of competitive driving experience. “The races are so long you have to know when to push the car and when to conserve. I think I’ll continue to develop that as I run more 500-mile and 600-mile races. The approach is to go out and do the best you can and run all the laps, get as much experience as you can. If you do that you’re going to run well, too.”

Blaney, son of Sprint Cup veteran Dave Blaney, has run well since he started racing quarter midgets at age 8, winning his first race at age 9. He has competed in and been successful in Bandolero cars, Legend cars, late model stock cars and the ARCA Racing Series before debuting in NASCAR’s K&N Pro Series West. In 2012, Blaney drove six races (recording two top 10s) in the Nationwide series before finishing the year with Team Penske, recording five top-10 finishes (including 2nd at Texas Motor Speedway) in seven starts. Also in September of that year, he won his first Camping World Truck Series race at Iowa Speedway and was the youngest winner in the series at the time at 18 years, 8 months and 15 days.

In the last two Nationwide campaigns for Team Penske, he posted a win in 2013, and in 2014 a win, 10 Top 5s, 13 Top 10s and 207 laps led in 14 starts in the No. 12 Ford Mustang. Driving for Brad Keselowski Racing in the 2014 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Blaney finished No. 2 in the championship driving the No. 29 Ford F-150. He posted a win, 12 Top 5s and 17 Top 10s in 22 CWTS starts.

En route to last season’s Nationwide owner’s title, Blaney learned important lessons in patience, which will benefit him and his Motorcraft/Quick Lane teammates in 2015.

“We had a couple races last season in the Nationwide car where we struggled a little bit in practice,” Blaney recalls. “Chicago was a really good example of that. We weren’t very good in practice and I didn’t think we would be that good for the race. My crew chief and I talked about it throughout the race and he made some great changes and we had a shot to win until we got a little bit of damage at the end.

“That’s what the driver and crew chief have to do if you’re going to be successful,” he continued. “If the weekend starts off bad you have to keep working on it. I’m getting better and better at telling him what I need. You get better at that with time.”

All of this caught the attention of Eddie and Len Wood of Wood Brothers Racing who pursued Blaney’s services once Trevor Bayne announced that he would drive the No. 6 full time in the Sprint Cup Series for Roush-Fenway Racing in 2015.

Blaney recognizes that he’s following in the footsteps of the many great Wood Brothers drivers of the past, including Curtis Turner, Cale Yarborough, A.J. Foyt, David Pearson, Bill Elliott and Dale Jarrett just to name a few.

“Just knowing the history of that car,” Blaney said. “It’s been special for me to get to know everyone over there and hear their stories. Being able to drive such an iconic race car is special. I came from a racing family so the family and the heritage of that team is pretty neat. It relates to my family, too. It’s also great getting to know everyone from Motorcraft and knowing the commitment they put into the team.”

Blaney got a preview of working with the Wood Brothers last August in Michigan. After it was announced that he would replace Bayne, he subbed for him in practice and qualifying while Bayne was competing in the Nationwide Series at Mid-Ohio.

“It was really cool to be able to work with those guys,” Blaney recalled. “Running at Michigan in Ford’s back yard, that was really cool to be a part of. It was great to have that experience at Michigan. That will give us just that much more experience when we go back there this season.”

Blaney is reluctant to predict how he’ll do in his first year of regular Cup competition and equally reluctant to set goals for himself and the team going into the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. He is, however, confident in his abilities and that of his new team.

“It’s hard to set expectations and goals,” he stated. “You just want to go out and do the best you can. I honestly think we’ll contend for wins. I think we’ll be in the hunt at most of them. If we can run 100 percent of the laps, not wreck out of any of them or have any issues, I know we’ll be racking up some really good finishes. You’ll definitely see us up front and contending for wins.”

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About Motorcraft

Motorcraft® offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended and approved by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to under-hood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer exceptional value with the highest quality and right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln dealers, independent distributors and automotive parts retailers are backed by Ford Motor Company’s two-year, unlimited-miles Service Parts Limited Warranty. Ask for Motorcraft by name when you visit your local auto parts store or your favorite service facility. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.

About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers

Quick Lane® provides automotive quick services for all makes and models. Quick Lane’s nationwide network of more than 700 facilities, each providing the convenience of an aftermarket company (no appointment necessary, service while you wait, evening and weekend hours, competitive prices) with the confidence of a major automotive manufacturer (quality parts, factory-trained, technicians). Quick Lane® is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.quicklane.com

Wood Brothers Racing

Wood Brothers Racing was formedin 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 98 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 117 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glen’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion driven by Ryan Blaney in the famous number 21 racecar.

Today’s Wood Brothers Racing Museum feature is on Leonard Wood’s handbuilt remote control cars. Remote Control cars are some of Leonard’s favorite things to build his spare time. Leonard has handmade several RC cars for the Wood Brothers and they are on display at the Wood Brothers Racing museum in Stuart, Va. These are not just any RC car, these bad boys can run up to 70 MPH.

This display also features a couple of cars that Leonard built in the late 1940s using a block of wood and a pocket knife! All the cars are shown in the video below, where Len goes into more detail about each of the handbuilt cars.